Readers Write (Oct. 21): Clinton and Trump and controversy; cancer awareness

At one point in Wednesday evening's debate, Hillary Clinton took aim at Julian Assange, saying that he was interfering with our elections. Really? Does she expect to exonerate herself with this accusation against Assange?

If her own actions had not been brought into the light of day through the discovery of her deleted, self-incriminating e-mails, neither Assange nor anyone else would have any impetus or power to influence her bid for the presidency in the way she has enabled him to do. When she began to practice injustice in her very first law case, she opened the door for this sort of thing to happen. Now she is in full-blown criminal mode. The Clintons, and particularly Hillary, along with the Obamas and many others in the government and media have successfully turned our country into a banana republic right under our noses! Proof has been given to us not only through these noxious e-mails, but now, thanks to Project Veritas, we have video with audio to explain some of these villainous election-tampering crimes! And Hillary wants to blame Assange?

These debates reveal that Donald J. Trump is no politician. The primary revealed that the American people saw his position as an outsider and jumped at the chance to elect someone who would go to Washington and clean up the mess. The best news is that Trump knows how to be a great CEO. He will put into his Cabinet men of good integrity who are experts at doing the important jobs they are commissioned to do. He will say "You're fired!" to all those who have participated in the corruption of President Obama and the Clintons.

America needs a President Trump. For if he accomplishes nothing more than exposing and prosecuting the political criminals in the system, and giving us Supreme Court justices who will hold up our Constitution with honor and integrity, he will have accomplished what no politician would be willing or able to do.

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In the third presidential debate, Mr. Trump brought up multiple conspiracy theories. All the conspiracy claims are bogus, which indicates that Trump cannot discern fact from fiction. Trump said his recent vulgar "Access Hollywood" tape was a conspiracy by Mrs. Clinton. Trump says the media is conspiring to defeat him.He has a severe disconnect with reality. He cannot be president if he cannot distinguish reality from fiction.

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The fact that Trump is the underdog and Clinton is the establishment's favorite does not detract from the merit of the charge. In short, we have nothing to be proud of in this year's election, because either way the people's voice will not be heard, and in this respect the election is rigged.

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Not unexpectedly, the media wire services were quick to jump all over Trump's comment that he would not commit to accepting the outcome of the election — with the election more than two weeks away. In my opinion, that was a poor question! The obvious answer for a candidate with a significant lead in the polls, and chances to win estimated at about 80 percent, would be yes. But a candidate who is on the other side of those polls answering yes could be considered to be admitting defeat before the results are in. That is not how competitors think.

Moreover, Trump did not say he would start a insurrection if he lost. Whatever happened to his constitutional rights to lead a peaceful protest, or to litigate if he believes he was wronged and suffered damages?

Come on national media folks — get real!

Here is my hope for Nov. 9: Let's assume for a moment that the current trajectory continues and that Clinton goes on to win the presidential election. And let's also assume that she wins so decisively that any arguing with the outcome is ridiculous. It is my hope that the thousands of microphones and cameras aimed at Trump are turned off. He has had 24/7 coverage for a very long time, and while it has been largely sickening to watch, you can't blame the media, as he is a major-party candidate. But starting Nov. 9, when he is just Donald Trump again, it will be up to us, and the media, to not give him the time of day. I understand the temptation will be to follow him around as he complains about rigged systems and that "nasty woman," but let's please take away the one thing that bullies crave: our attention.

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I am one of the many voters who "find Trump appalling and Clinton unacceptable" ("Turned-off voters seek 3rd party options," Oct. 17). This is my thinking on the current situation: Regardless of the election results, I can think of a multitude of reasons why our next president may not finish the term. Therefore, I will be voting for my choice for who will succeed her/him: Tim Kaine. Of the four candidates, he is the only one actually qualified to lead our country.

In 1968, I, along with many of my fellow 20-somethings, either did not vote or voted for a third-party candidate — and look where that got us. Today, a third-party vote for a national office just doesn't make sense. We all need to vote in this election and then look to our future, remember our current choices, and begin the work of making serious reforms in the current major political parties and/or building a strong, viable third party so that we can have a real choice for president in 2020.

The U.S. Navy paints a jet fighter pink; Delta paints one of its jets pink, and NFL players get all decked out in pink. All for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Which is a very, very good cause.

Pancreatic cancer has the lowest five-year survival rate of any major cancer, at only 8 percent. And it has moved from the fourth- to the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. (It is anticipated to become the second-leading around 2020.) Yet, research for pancreatic cancer receives a fraction of the funding that research for breast cancer does.

Here's hope that we will see just as much purple as pink, all over the place, during the 2017 monthly awareness campaign. (Purple is the official color for pancreatic cancer awareness). And a little more money from Uncle Sam for research would not hurt, either.